A New European

Defying centuries of Muslim tradition and sparking a firestorm of controversy, a prominent female Islamic scholar led a mixed-gender congregation in prayers here Friday to assert the theological validity of female-led prayer and to challenge the widespread belief that only men may be imams.

Amina Wadud, an African-American professor of Islamic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and author of “Qur’an and Woman: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman’s Perspective,” also delivered the Friday sermon in a service conducted solely by women.

“I don’t want to change Muslim mosques. I want to encourage the hearts of Muslims, both in their public, private and ritual affairs, to believe they are one and equal,” said Wadud before the service.

Endlich! Mehr davon, bitte! Und schneller! Bevor der ganze Westen auf die Woelfe in den Schaafspelzen reinfaellt, die behaupten sich fuer Demokratie einzusetzen, aber den Islamismus in einer Art predigen, die selbst bei den Mullahs seinesgleichen sucht.

Aber natuerlich sind einige stark angepisst.

Only a handful of protesters showed up outside the event and they conducted a counter prayer service on the sidewalk, led by a young American man who would only give his name as Nussruh. “These people do not represent Islam,” said the clearly furious Nussruh. “If this was an Islamic state, this woman would be hanged, she would be killed, she would be diced into pieces.”

Und wenn’s nach mir ginge, wuerde genau das mit dir geschehen, lieber Nussruh, in jedem Staat. Aber weil’s nicht nach mir geht (und in diesem Falle ist es auch besser so), koennte man ihn alternativ ueber Saudi Arabien absetzten. Fallschirm optional.